Gluten Free Beauty {and a Giveaway}

Welcome!
I'm Donielle and this is my blog, full of information on fertility, food, and natural living. I have a team of amazing and knowledgeable contributors helping me get out relevant content each month and all of them have their own fertility story.
I'm so glad you're here! If you're just getting started, check out the "start here" tab above and make sure to join our community, keep informed, and get access to exclusive content by signing up for the enewsletter over to your right.

While I’m actually part of the sect trying not to get pregnant, I do know that since going gluten-free my chances are greatly increased. This is because my body literally attacks itself when in the presence of gluten.

One of the most troubling health issues I faced before my diagnosis of severe gluten intolerance was drastically low hormone levels (in my mid 20s!). It wasn’t until a couple of years later that I met with the Drs. Petersen, authors of The Gluten Effect, who suspected that the stress to my body in reaction to gluten had strained my adrenal glands, and thus caused the unusual dip in my hormone levels.

Since going gluten-free (both dietarily and topically) I’ve seen a range of improvements in my health and even in my outward appearance. And if I were trying to conceive today, I would definitely be more cautious than ever to ensure that no gluten came near my body.

But how does one go about avoiding gluten in topical form? A great place to start is at your local Whole Foods Market, health foods store or even online. Some natural lines like Desert Essence Organics, California Baby, 100% Pure, Gluten Free Beauty and Jason Natural are either entirely gluten-free, or actually label many of their products that are. This way you know that you’re getting a shampoo, body wash, body lotion, face makeup, etc. that is not only free of parabens and icky chemicals, but also gluten from wheat, barley, rye or contaminated oats.

I’ve compiled a gluten-free beauty shopping list that is perfect to stash in your purse for emergency shopping consultation. But I have also been reviewing natural, gluten-free beauty products for years on NatuallyDahling.com which may also help inspire your shopping trips.

Going gluten-free topically does not have to be challenging or overwhelming. With awareness of gluten intolerance, gluten sensitivity and celiac disease on the rise, many companies are swapping out gluten-containing ingredients in favor of gluten-free alternatives. And while you may have heard that Vitamin E oil contains gluten, you may want to check with the manufacturer before you give up a product. In my experience, Vitamin E oil actually only rarely contains gluten. This is because for it to contain gluten, it is typically sourced from wheat germ oil, but wheat germ oil is often gluten-free.

You would be surprised at how many companies currently keep gluten-free product lists on hand. A quick call even to one of the major hair coloring companies can answer questions about which products contain gluten.

Kristen is a passionate natural and gluten-free beauty expert, who is always searching for better, safer natural beauty products. She loves helping people find products to address their particular skin issues, and spends her downtime with her loving and supportive boyfriend and their gluten-free dog Waylon.

Kristen has also generously offered to giveaway a 1 oz. bottle of our signature product, the Facial Moisture Serum ($45 value). It’s safe, 100% natural, vegan, gluten-free and can even be used on the body in spots that need some extra care. To enter, please head to Gluten Free Beauty and then fill out the form below with your name, e-mail address, and either an ingredient of the serum, or another product that caught your eye.

This GIVEAWAY is now closed!

**********

You can also check out all of the posts from the week we focused on wheat and gluten:

Donielle is an author, amateur herbalist, lover of real food, and an advocate for natural health. She has a passion for nourishing nutrition, natural living, and spreading the word on how food truly affects our health, so much so that she is currently taking courses to become a master herbalist. Her personal background includes both infertility and miscarriage and she began this blog in order to share all of the information she found helpful in her journey to healing.

Many of the links on this site are affiliate links, which mean that the owner of the site may earn a small commission from your purchase through the company. We will not recommend a company that we do not purchase from ourselves and we thank you for your support. No contributor or author on this site is a medical doctor and the statements made here have not been approved by the Food and Drug Administration. These statements are not intended to diagnose, treat or cure or prevent any disease. This notice is required by the Federal Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act. Read our privacy policy and full disclosure here.

Comments

About going gluten free I was wondering, if one is truly not gluten intolerant would there be any negative side effects to going gluten free? I tried it about a year ago for 5 months and it seemed like my body ached all the time and stopped when I went back. I’m currently grain-free for the most part (which is working wonderfully with my gestational diabetes!) but am not really gluten free. I ask because I guess if there are no negative side effects to going GF then maybe my symptoms were caused by something else? Any thoughts on the matter?

@Deanna, Everything I’ve ever read or heard on the matter is that no – going GF does not have any negative side effects. But…by going gluten free when you do have sensitivities, your body will react. It’s kind of like a withdrawal period. It can cause headaches, muscle pain, stomach upset, etc. It’s also possible that by cutting it out your body was able to show symptoms of a different food sensitivity. or it could be that it didn’t like something that you used to replace wheat. Many times people have issues with rice (a very common substitute for wheat in GD products) or it’s possible your body was wanting what you usually put ON the bread. I know for me it’s almost hard to get in good amounts of butter now.

Then again, if you have no negative side effects eating gluten, I can’t see any issue eating small amounts of any grain here and there. Personally I find no difference in the way my body reacts when I’m gluten or gluten free- but I DO know that I do much better overall when eating about 80-90% grain free. For a lot of people it’s the insulin/carb issue – not a gluten issue.

I’m so glad you’re posting on topical effects of gluten. My first clue that gluten (it may just be wheat in my case…haven’t done a real challenge to find out) is trouble for me is that I started breaking out in a rash on my hands when I made bread!

When I get my hands in wheat flour, my hands get red, cracked patches of eczema. Weird, but I have to imagine that it’s not doing me any good on the inside either.

I don’t really use any cosmetic products anymore, but if I did, this list would be great.